TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Dublin 2-11
Cork 0-11

By DARAGH SMALL

Sinéad Aherne scored 1-3 as champions Dublin advanced to the TG4 All-Ireland Championship senior final after seeing off the challenge of their great rivals Cork.Mick Bohan’s side will now face Galway following their victory over Mayo in the first of the double-bill at Croke Park in front of a crowd of 10,886.
Dublin had lost twice to Cork in 2019 and the sides were deadlocked at 0-7 apiece at half-time following an absorbing opening half-hour of action where neither side could establish a period of dominance.Dublin scored their first goal when Cork were down a player in their full-back line with Eimear Meaney off the field. Caoimhe O’Connor applied the finish after a smart move and Aherne wrapped up the win with a late penalty.
There were a couple of late changes to both sides prior to throw-in and the returning Nicole Owens, with her heavily strapped right knee, was brought in to replace Jennifer Dunne for Dublin.
Carla Rowe gave Dublin the lead in the first minute but disaster struck three minutes later when Owens’ knee injury resurfaced and she had to exit the game.
Oonagh Whyte replaced her and she scored Dublin’s second point after Orla Finn tapped over her first of the day.
Finn hit back again but Aherne, who scored 2-5 in their quarter-final win over Kerry, cancelled that effort out.
It was back and forth with Lyndsey Davey, Niamh McEvoy and Rowe scoring for Dublin. Finn, Doireann O’Sullivan and Eimear Scally kept Cork right in the game.
The teams were level six times until Finn swung over a brilliant free in the 26th minute. Dublin’s second successful free arrived moments later when Aherne tagged on her second.
There was nothing separating the sides at the break and Cork full-back Meaney fouled Aherne for her to step up and score her third free within a minute of the resumption.
Dublin were reduced to 14 players in the 33rd minute when Niamh Collins was penalised for a foul on Doireann O’Sullivan and issued with a yellow card. Finn scored the free.
Rowe’s quickly taken free allowed her to send over her third point. And half-time substitute Noelle Healy opened up the first two-point margin when she fisted a score.
That lead was halved by Finn (free) but Meaney was sent to the line for a yellow card in the 41st minute.
Áine O’Sullivan almost scored a goal for Cork two minutes after her arrival as a substitute, but she couldn’t finish off Ciara O’Sullivan’s pass.
But Dublin substitute O’Connor took her chance when she was set up by Niamh McEvoy and Healy in the 44th minute.
Dublin extended their lead when Jennifer Dunne pointed after coming off the bench, while Áine O’Sullivan then departed on a yellow card for an off-the-ball challenge on Davey.
Finn ended Cork’s 17-minute scoring drought but Collins was fouled at the other end for Aherne to score the resultant penalty.

Scorers – Dublin: S Aherne 1-3 (1-0 pen, 3f), C O’Connor 1-0, C Rowe 0-3,  L Davey 0-1, O Whyte 0-1, N McEvoy 0-1, N Healy 0-1, J Dunne 0-1.
Cork: O Finn 0-9 (8f), D O’Sullivan 0-1, E Scally 0-1.

Dublin: C Trant; É Rutledge, N Collins, M Byrne; A Kane, S Goldrick, O Carey; L Magee, S McGrath; C Rowe, N McEvoy, L Davey; S Aherne, N Hetherton, N Owens. Subs: O Whyte for Owens (4), N Healy for Hetherton (half-time), C O’Connor for Whyte (39), J Dunne for Kane (53), K Sullivan for McEvoy (63).

Cork: M O’Brien; H Looney, E Meaney, S Kelly; A Hutchings, M Duggan, E Kiely; N Cotter, M O’Callaghan; O Farmer, C O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan; S Noonan, E Scally, O Finn. Subs: Á O’Sullivan for Cotter (39), E Spillane for Kelly (45), L Coppinger for Noonan (48), R Ní Bhuachalla for D O’Sullivan (53), D Kiely for E Kiely (53).

Ref: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).

Win a Super Supporters Day Out to cheer on the Cork Ladies Footballers

At SuperValu, we are proud sponsors and loyal supporters of the Cork Ladies Gaelic Football Association.  As we pledge our continued support to the Cork Ladies team and manager Ephie Fitzgerald, we want to give you and your club a chance to experience the buzz of game day, while cheering on our successful Cork Ladies Footballers! This Super Supporters day includes travel to and from the match, as well as entry into the game on the day!

To be in with a chance of winning the Super Supporters day out to cheer on the Cork Ladies Footballers in the All-Ireland Semi Final V Dublin on Sunday August 25th in Croke Park, simply answer the question below and enter all of your details. Closing date for competition is 3pm on 16th August.

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https://supervalu.ie/real-people/sponsorship/gaa/cork-ladies-footballers

Cork 7-18
Tyrone 3-4

By DARAGH SMALL

Niamh Cotter led the way as Cork beat Tyrone to bounce back from last weekend’s shock defeat to Armagh and advance to the TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-finals.
Cork had the issue wrapped up when they led by 3-8 to 1-3 ahead at half-time after goals from Eimear Scally, Eimear Kiely and Cotter. Doireann O’Sullivan added two more goals on the resumption as Cork cruised into the final four.
Ephie Fitzgerald’s side were expected to respond after last week’s surprise loss and last year’s runners-up didn’t disappoint at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
Tyrone had the aid of a slight breeze in the opening half but Cork, despite shooting seven wides, still found the net three times and pulled clear after Maeve Mallon’s goal had dragged Tyrone back into the game.
Orla Finn settled Cork when she struck first from a free in the fourth minute before a couple of Chloe McCaffrey points gave Tyrone the lead.
Then Scally scored a point and Libby Coppinger exchanged passes with Doireann O’Sullivan who set up Scally to score the first Cork goal.
Cork were 1-2 to 0-2 ahead in the tenth minute and after an Aoibhinn McHugh effort they scored an unanswered 1-3 as Doireann O’Sullivan, Cotter and Finn all fired over Shannon Lynch’s crossbar.

And then Kiely’s speculative effort finished in the top corner of the Tyrone net in the 18th minute.
Scally had a goal disallowed in the 22nd minute and then Mallon looked to have given Tyrone a real chance when she found the net moments later.

But another 1-3 in quick succession gave Cork a huge cushion at the break.
Cotter scored a brilliant individual effort to make it 3-5 to 1-3 in the 31st minute. Cork finished the half off well with points from Doireann and Ciara O’Sullivan, and Finn rounded off the first half scoring.
Cork took a 3-8 to 1-3 lead into the second half and had the breeze to come, and they made their chances pay. Cotter, Finn and Ciara O’Sullivan extended their lead.
Doireann O’Sullivan fired the fourth Cork goal after she was assisted by substitute Saoirse Noonan.
Mallon did score her second goal into the empty Cork net but with 20 minutes remaining Finn gave Cork a 4-12 to 2-3 lead.
Kiely got forward to add another point before she left the field and Doireann O’Sullivan’s second goal came in the 44th minute.
Cork manager Fitzgerald unloaded more of his impressive substitutes bench and Áine O’Sullivan added 1-1 in the closing stages.

Maria Canavan grabbed a consolation goal for Tyrone but Saoirse Noonan cancelled that out.

Scorers – Cork: D O’Sullivan 2-2, N Cotter 1-2, E Scally 1-2, O Finn 0-6 (4f), E Kiely 1-1, Á O’Sullivan 1-1, S Noonan 1-0, C O’Sullivan 0-2, R Ní Bhuachalla 0-1, A Hutchings 0-1.
Tyrone: M Mallon 2-0, M Canavan 1-0, C McCaffrey 0-3, A McHugh 0-1.

Cork: M O’Brien; S Kelly, H Looney, E Meaney; A Hutchings, M Duggan, E Kiely; C O’Sullivan, M O’Callaghan; O Farmer, N Cotter, O Finn; L Coppinger, D O’Sullivan, E Scally. Subs: S Noonan for Coppinger (36), A O’Sullivan for Farmer (36), C O’Shea for Kiely (44), R Ní Bhuachalla for D O’Sullivan (50), M Ambrose for Cotter (50).

Tyrone: S Lynch; C Hunter, J Barrett, C Conway; T McLaughlin, S McCarroll, N McGirr; A McHugh, N Woods; E Brennan, M Canavan, EJ Gervin; N O’Neill, M Mallon, C McCaffrey. Subs: D Gallagher for McCarroll (30), C Kelly for Gervin (47), A Daly for McLaughlin (50), S Sheerin for O’Neill (54), A Tuohey for Brennan (58).

Ref – Gerry Carmody (Roscommon).